Google’s New Move

By:
Zoe Osborne

As the world’s largest search engine, Google has long been an essential part in any hotel or restaurant’s online marketing strategy. Listing your business on Google My Business, filling it with quality photos and information and gathering good reviews and ratings is a clear first step in creating an online presence.

But with an exciting new development announced earlier this month, the importance of a good Google presence for your hotel, resort or restaurant is greater than ever. The 20th century information giant is now threatening to overthrow TripAdvisor and Expedia as the world’s biggest and most comprehensive travel agent. So what exactly is Google doing, and why should you want to know?

Google has developed a shiny new search function for mobile browsers called Google Destinations, designed to make the process of researching and planning a trip easier and more intuitive. The search function compiles information from across Google’s existing platforms - Google+, Maps, Google My Business, etc. as well as basic web content to create an app-like encyclopedia of information before any other search results are listed. All users have to do is type a destination name plus “destination” into the search bar, e.g. “Vietnam destination”. The software is anticipated on desktop later this year but is currently exclusively for mobile searches. As Google notes, the smartphone is changing the face of internet use with more and more people relying on it, especially travellers.

The function includes a Lonely Planet-esque array of destination-specific details, as well as flight costs, hotel and restaurant suggestions, a general overall budget calculator and a number of other useful features all in one place. With this much information in one, easy to use interface, Google Destinations represents a big new step for online travel agents.

Google’s new move makes it the most comprehensive online travel agent on the internet, and with its already great reputation it’s potential to reach vast numbers of potential customers world-wide is well worth investing in. Let’s break it down:

Source: www.flickr.com – Photo: Mister G.C.

1. Google knows

We all know the online stalking-power of Google, but few of us really understand the real amount and range of information that the super-search engine knows about its users and their interests. With data on past searches, past advert interactions, past web views, past keywords and much more, Google is able to connect customers with specific information tailored to their specific profile. The destinations selected, the budget, the type of hotel - it all comes down to what Google already knows about the person searching - Google selects the information to show based on what the person is interested in, and what your business offers.

Source: www.flickr.com – Photo: Prayitno

For example, if a middle-aged lady who routinely stays in 5-star hotels, travels mainly to big, economic hubs, takes interest in shopping and likes to fine-dine, typed “Vietnam destination” into Google, she would be given a list of the bigger cities in the country, classy restaurants, the country’s best hotels and resorts, where to shop, what to buy, etc. But if the same search was made by a young, budget backpacker, they would return very different results.

2. Google is the middle-man

Given the level of insight mentioned above, it is now even more important that you focus on listing your business correctly with the right target market in mind, and getting as many people as possible to review you on Google. Google is not just a big-brother, it is your middle-man. It’s the virtual agent that connects you with your potential customers. Build your Google reputation as a business with a specific market, aim and values, and watch as Google targets your customers for you.

3. Google is your reputation

Another element to being found on Google Destinations is rating - the more reviews you have, the better they are and the higher your rating is, the higher up on the list you will be. Since this super search engine is so well known and trusted, a quality listing and collection of reviews on the platform guarantees you a similar reputation - arguably a more valuable asset than any TripAdvisor profile.

So How Do You Get on Board?

The only way to be involved in Google Destinations is to advertise on Google. The company has made it clear that this feature is primarily a B2C based resource designed to make travel easier and more profound for its search engine users. It is not a partner-fueled or advertising service. As such, the development hinges on Google’s existing relationships with hotels, airlines and OTAs that are listed with it. So the key to maximising your impact with Google is to get on Google my Business now (it’s free), and get reviewed!

Another super important thing that all businesses should start considering is their choice of keywords. Google Destinations revolves around a number of keywords relating to location and activity, so it’s definitely a good plan to start prioritising these particular keywords in your SEO optimisation. This will give you a higher chance of being listed on the first page of web results underneath the Google Destinations section, if you scroll down, and will also affect your rank on the Destinations section itself. The keywords include “destination”, “travel”, “hiking”, “skiing”, “surfing”, “beaches” and “tourist attractions”. Google then filters results according to their interest and location. If your business is related to any specific interest, chances are there is a keyword. Test it on your phone, and invest in some specialised SEO.

Tips on Starting a Business in Vietnam

By:
City Pass Guide

Whether you want to start an LLC, JSC, franchise or any other sort of local entity in HCMC, there are myriad problems – from cultural precautions to transparency to taxes – that ultimately drive away the uninitiated.

How do you even begin to enter this exciting, yet wild territory?

LLC or JSC?

For the purposes of brevity, we’ll look at two particular local entities: the jointly-owned foreign-Vietnamese LLC, and the JSC. The following information has been gathered with the aid of the Healy Consultants PLC website.

Joint-venture LLC – There are two shareholders in a joint-venture limited liability company: a foreigner and a local. This entity allows entry into many industries and foreign ownership can range from a maximum of 49% to 99%. These companies are required to have an appointed local legal representative, a capital account at a local bank, and a Foreign Investment Certificate (FIC).

Also required is a registered local address, a certificate of deposit from a local bank for the share capital ($50,000), and yearly audited financial statements.

This entity is best for foreign business owners who want access to partially restricted industries, and when the business owner has a local partner they trust. It takes about three months to set up.

JSC – For a joint stock company, there must be three shareholders of any nationality, although one of them must be appointed as the legal representative of the business. If that representative is a foreigner, they will be required to get a work permit and show proof of at least one year of management experience.

In addition, requirements include a bank certificate as proof of the funds available for investment ($10,000), the opening of a capital account with a local bank, an FIC, and annual submission of audited financial statements.

A JSC is a useful entity for anyone looking to start a business with more than two partners. The lower investment requirements are also a plus. It takes about two months to set up.

Labour and Tax

Kenneth Atkinson, the Executive Chairman at Grant Thornton Vietnam, pointed out two big factors to keep in mind:

The tax regime and labour laws are the two most important things to keep in mind. Both are quite complex. In the context of taxes, structuring your investments from a tax-planning perspective is very important. You have to ask yourself questions like, are you investing from your personal name? Are you investing through a corporate structure? What double tax treaties exist that make it beneficial to invest from, say, Singapore, instead of Hong Kong or the U.K. What is the impact of those regulations if you exit the business through a sale?

A thorough read of the Labour Code (vietnamlegal.com.vn is a useful resource) is a must, and when it comes to local taxes, Grant Thornton’s 2016 Doing Business in Vietnam report has a great overview of tax requirements.

Cultural Mindfulness

If you’re coming from an Asian country, you’re likely to understand the cultural ways here better than Westerners. Gone are brash negotiations, rapid-fire contracts and cutting to the chase. Vietnam in general is a long-term game that requires patience above all else.

The client meetings at karaoke bars (now slowly being overtaken by beer club meetings), the formal business cards exchange, the contract-over-drinks approach, the sheer politeness of it all – it’s all part of getting to know you as a person. People do business with whom they trust, and foreigners here seem to like these practices enough to uphold the local business culture. As Mr. Atkinson points out: “I actually prefer being handed a business card rather than some American guy flicking it across a table at me.” A final story from Mr. Atkinson:

In 1999, we had a fairly big project with the Asian Development Bank and the Ministry of Finance. I first went to dinner with these guys at the introduction of a Vietnamese friend. We had an enjoyable dinner and a few bottles of wine. Once it ended, my friend said they liked me, but they didn’t know Grant Thornton. So I said to one of the guys, What football team do you support? He said, Manchester United. I said, That’s great because we’re the auditors to Manchester United. Then two bottles of brandy appeared on the table and we stay there for another hour and a half. In the end we actually got the job.

The Advantage of Having a Powerful Business Network

By:
Victor Burrill

Go some years into a corporate career and you may notice that the reality of climbing the executive ladder is - the further up you go, the less direct feedback you tend to receive, and the more difficult it can become to ask for support from your peers. You might also find that there is nobody you know who has the know-how to guide you towards making the right strategic decisions and effectively run your organization. Nobody is brilliant enough to go the distance alone and this became the inspiration for Vietnam’s very own executive group, The Business Executive Network (BEN). This young organization was established in 2017 as a support system for executives leading both local and multinational companies in Ho Chi Minh City.

The network operates by holding monthly functions for its members, where they meet together to discuss current topics, share their professional challenges, and even meet informally at events such as lunches and social gatherings. The majority of these meetings are held confidentially and when necessary, are professionally chaired.

There are three primary reasons why members join this network...

- Some come looking to build strong business relationships.

- Others seek peer support in managing their companies.

- And some come to receive insight for their own personal development.

Whatever the reason, each session is designed to be relevant and applicable to all members. On top of this, it is the diverse community of ethnicity, industry, and experience that really gives BEN its unique edge.

To meet BEN’s requirements of membership, applicants should be business leaders who are operating companies in Vietnam with teams of 30 or more staff. In contrast, there are some members leading teams of thousands in Vietnam alone. These requirements can be flexible however, as the group can make, and has made in the past, exceptions through internal approval. This will often happen if an applicant has a particularly strong experience in management, ambition to develop his/her business in Vietnam, and shows good rapport with other members.

The current vision for BEN is to be the first choice for executive development and support for business leaders in Vietnam, with goals to significantly grow their number of members in 2020. With more members come more meetings, larger peer groups, and a greater, more inspiring atmosphere at leadership gatherings.

The world over, there are businesses being run, and behind each business is a leader trying to make it succeed. It is not often that these leaders have a tightly knit group of fellow leaders that they can regularly meet and confide in. As part of the Ho Chi Minh City community we are always excited to see organizations like this one grow. We really look forward to seeing the Business Executive Network grow and reach new heights over the next few years. Will you come and join us on this exciting journey?

Are you interested in joining as a member of the Business Executive Network?

American presidents usually give a “State of the Union” speech to the legislature around this time, discussing the past year and what their goals for the future are. While I don’t have orange skin, here is my address about the state of tourism in Vietnam and a few predictions for 2017.

Looking Back at the Monkey

Chinese and Koreans All Around...

By any measurement, last year was an excellent year for tourism in Vietnam. Out of 29 countries, only Cambodia showed a drop in international visitors to Vietnam. In fact, the number of inbound foreigners increased by nearly 50 percent in the last four years.

Those of you in Saigon reading this English-language newspaper and working in the hospitality or tourism industry may be surprised or sceptical about the numbers. That is because Vietnam has been experiencing a tremendous shift in markets. Nearly 70 percent of this growth has come from China and South Korea alone, the two largest and fastest-growing inbound markets in 2016.

This shift accelerated in 2016 at a staggering rate. Between 2012 and 2016, the number of international arrivals to Vietnam grew by 3,165,000 people. Of that increase in visitors, 2,230,000 came from China and South Korea.

The reason for the increase is pretty simple: China and South Korea have large populations with a rising average income which is creating a larger middle class. People typically begin travelling internationally when their family income reaches about $1,500 per month. The first trip is usually to a country nearby with a familiar culture. Vietnam is a close, warm-weather destination with a familiar Asian culture.

… and Also More Westerners

You might think all this growth is great, but not really relevant to your business if you rely on American, European and Australian tourists. Sorry, those markets haven’t grown significantly. That is why on 1 July 2015, Vietnam’s government waived visa fees for five European countries for a 15-day visit.

So, did it work? Apparently it did.

Granting a few months for word to spread, from November 2015 through the end of 2016 each month saw a significant improvement over the same month the year before.

However, while the chart may look fantastic, the actual increase in 2016 for these five countries averaged about 9,700 more tourists per month. Even if the fee exemption was expanded to North America and Oceania, a similar jump in tourists would result in only an average monthly increase of about 25,000 visitors this year. China and South Korea combined to grow an average of 119,000 visitors per month in 2016 and this coming year will see an even larger increase.

Just how much larger, you ask?

Looking to the Rooster

Here are a few predictions for 2017:

The new electronic visa system will grow eligible markets by over 50 percent.

At this time, it is not clear who will be eligible, but this may have a greater positive effect on tourism than waiving the visa fee. It seems more likely that the current system of travellers sending their passport to a Vietnamese consulate is a greater barrier than the visa fee.

The number of Russians travelling to Vietnam will double in the second half of 2017.

The number of Russian travellers to Vietnam increased by 28 percent this year from last year, though the number is only up 19 percent over a two-year period. However, with U.S. sanctions likely to be lifted, the Russian currency will rise in value. Political problems in Egypt and Turkey make Vietnam a safe choice for chasing the sun.

The number of Chinese tourists will grow faster than in 2016.

Chinese citizens embarked on an estimated 60 million outbound trips last year, yet only

2.6 million were to its southern neighbour. Despite China already being far and away Vietnam’s largest market, there is plenty of room to grow.

Total number of international visitors to Vietnam will surpass 13 million.

See #1, #2, and #3 above.

A domestic Vietjet flight will leave Ho Chi Minh City on time.

Just joking!

Let’s not get too crazy with these predictions.

Choosing the Right Web Design for Your Business

By:
City Pass Guide

A website is the base for all online activities of your business. However, having a badly designed website can be worse than having no site at all. To maintain a successful online presence in Vietnam’s competitive environment, you need to adhere to the one and only commandment of design:

Form Follows Function

The online environment in Vietnam is often colourful, confusing, cluttered and chaotic. Don’t fall into that trap. To set up a profitable website for your business, you need to think about the purpose first. What do you want to use your website for? Or rather, what will your customers want to do on your website?

Case 1: My customers just want my contact information.

In theory, a Facebook profile is enough for this purpose, but your own digital business card looks more professional. And when you own your own domain name, you can and should use it for your email address.

Case 2: My customers want some information about my company and our products/services.

A small website with a short introduction and one page per service or product, held together by an easy-to-use navigation system, should be enough.

Case 3: I want to keep my customers up to date with promotions, events and company news.

This calls for a small content management system, or CMS. A CMS is where you log in and change pages or add new posts. Usually people have a section of fixed pages on their website and an extra “blog” section, where customers can follow their updates. This is the best option for restaurants.

Case 4: I want to sell my products online.

Shop plugins are available for every major CMS. These are easy to use, cheap and versatile. However, often it is not exactly what you imagine, remember that you can hire a developer to customise the product. Be careful! Customers are entering sensitive data like credit card information, so make sure the security is top-notch. Nothing ruins your online reputation faster than a security leak.

Case 5: I want to be Number One and dominate the search results.

Now we’re talking! The design still follows the function of your project, but create a code as slim as possible to make the pages load quickly and efficiently. It is also imperative to follow the prime online commandment here: Content is King. Effective SEO is necessary as well, to keep on top of Google.

In the past it was easy to fool search engines into ranking your site higher – all you had to do was list your keywords a hundred times per page. Nowadays, programs like Google are much smarter and spamming will harm your business beyond repair. Your only chance is to create content your visitors love to read and pass on to others. For quality content creation, you either have to be multi-talented, hire somebody, or buy content from a third party. But beware, many companies are still stuck in 2005 and will sell you generic content that gets you nowhere. Choose wisely!

Vietnam’s Labour Laws: What You Need to Know

By:
Keely Burkey

Are there any legal differences between hiring an expatriate and a Vietnamese worker?

An expatriate worker must have a work permit to work in Vietnam (although there are some exceptions). Also, if an expatriate works with a contract of longer than three months, they must have statutory health insurance. All local workers are subject to social, health and unemployment insurance.

Has the increase in foreign businesses and workers affected labour laws?

The government has made it harder for expatriates to obtain work permits and work visas. The process is generally longer than it used to be, too. Theoretically, expats are only supposed to be doing jobs that Vietnamese people wouldn’t be able to do.

What’s the biggest issue employers face when it comes to labour laws?

Most labour disputes are centered around wrongful termination. In other countries, like the United States, it’s easier to fire an employee for poor performance. In Vietnam, if an employer gets angry at an employee and fires them on the spot, that’s unlawful termination. There’s a specific set of procedures that needs to be followed. It’s always best if both parties agree to amicably part ways if possible. If you’re an employer and want to terminate a labour contract, it’s safest to discuss it first with a lawyer.

If an employee believes he or she has been wrongfully terminated, what can they do?

Generally, when a labour contract is breached by an employer, the employee may directly send his or her contract-related demand to the employer for remedy or request help from the trade union. The employee may also terminate the labour contract, make a complaint against the employer to the labour authorities or bring the dispute to a labour mediator or to the court. An employer who breaches a labour contract will be, depending on the seriousness of the situation, subject to paying compensation and reinstatement of the rights and benefits of the employee, and may face an administrative penalty.

What advice would you give to somebody starting a new company in Vietnam?

The most important thing is to have a good labour contract that clearly outlines the rights of both the employee and the employer. And how well do you really know someone when you hire them? If the business relationship doesn’t work out, the legal ramifications can be severe. It’s best to start with a probationary period and then a one-year fixed term contract before signing a permanent contract.

Just the Facts

Working Hours

– Usually 8 hours per day, 48 hours per week.

Overtime

– Should not exceed 50 percent of regular working hours per day.

– The worker is paid 150 percent of salary on normal working days,

200 percent on scheduled days off, and 300 percent on public holidays.

Minimum Wage

– Depends on the region. As of 1 January 2017, the minimum wage in HCMC is VND 3.75 million per month.

Vacation Time

– An employee in normal working conditions is entitled to at least 12 vacation days per year.

Sick Leave

– A local employee is entitled to sick leave allowance from the social insurance fund if the employee provides documentation from the healthcare provider proving just cause.

Maternity Laws

– The mother is entitled to six months of maternity leave.

– If she gives birth to more than one child at a time, she can take one additional month for each additional child.

– If a woman is in her third trimester of pregnancy, she is not permitted to work at night, work overtime or take business trips.

– A female employee can’t be subject to labour discipline while pregnant, during maternity leave or while nursing a child under 12 months old.

As with most laws and regulations, loopholes and exceptions abound. Be sure to consult a lawyer before making any legal decisions.